Processed Meat, Big Arms, and What’s In Your Toolbox?
June 5, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I actually meant to send this out awhile ago, but with the arrival of the twins I’ve been just a little busy. Holy poop! Holy middle of the night crying! And holy cuteness… all factors keeping me EXTREMELY busy.
Below are a few good blogposts for you to check out…
Dr. Bowden is one of my favorite nutrition experts. In this post, he talks about red meat and why it is actually GOOD for you, as opposed to the devil of the world that many make it out to be. The flawed studies on red meat has led to a bunch of misinformation. Meat that is highly processed (coming from large factory farms) is WAAAY different than meat that comes from grass-fed cows. In the end, the studies should NOT lump processed meat and grass-fed meat in the same category.
I think of it like this; Kool-Aid is not good for us, we know that. Since kool-aid contains water, does that mean we should avoid water? I think not. Get rid of all the sugar, and you are left with good, healthy water. Same thing with meat; get rid of all the processing in some of these meats, and you’re left with a food that has many benefits. Check out Dr. Bowden’s as it goes into more detail than my brief summary…
Processed Meats: What’s Inside May Kill You – by Dr. Jonny Bowden
Many coaches/trainers are not big fans of direct arm work (i.e. curls for the girls and tricep pushdowns). Now, I too get frustrated with those dudes that spend 75% of their time doing concentration curls RATHER THAN the big-boy movements like deadlifts, push-ups, chin-ups, and squats. BUT, if you want bigger arms, you better be doing some direct arm training. Right Jason? …
My Take On Direct Arm Work - by Jason Ferruggia
This one is a older blogpost by me. One of my biggest pet peeves in this field is when someone says that they are a “TRX guy” (or whatever piece of equipment they choose to define themselves as). Those that do this – stupid, just stupid…
Tools In Your Training Toolbox – by me
Hope you all have a great Sunday!
Don’t forget, if you haven’t done so already, connect with me on facebook and twitter.
Achieving Your First Chin-Up And The Twins Have Arrived!
May 28, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I’m in the hospital as I type this, taking a break from daddy-duty. If you didn’t hear already, we had two beautiful babies delivered yesterday morning at 8:02 and 8:03 a.m. Capri Robin McLarty and Daxton Grey McLarty. One boy and one girl… EXACTLY what I wanted. We are so happy – what an amazing experience!
Now, onto chin-ups. Not many females are capable of achieving a chin-up. Whenever I do see a lady doing chin-ups (and this is not often), it always impresses me. To learn the chin-up progressions that I use with many of my female clients (and many males as well), check out this article that I did for Zen to Fitness… Achieving Your First Chin-Up.
Now, back to babies 
…
Babies Are Coming – Last Chance Workout
May 25, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
We are only 2 days away from our scheduled C-section. And I can’t wait to find out the sexes (twins if you haven’t been following), I can’t wait for Shondra to stop being so uncomfortable, and I can’t wait to meet them. Because of the craziness that is about to enter my world, I plan on taking a few days off from training – although I am going to bring my Superbands to the hospital, so I can get a few sets of push-up, curls, and a little glute work in.
But that will most likely be nice and easy, just to get the blood flowing, and give me a reason to move around. My ADD will be working in full force as I can’t sit for more than 22 seconds without going crazy.
Due to the fact that my training will be taking a back seat for the next week or so (or the next 18 years or so 
), I kicked the crap out of myself at yesterday’s training session. And plan on doing the same today. Training to failure on a consistent basis is usually not the best idea. Here is what I consider training to failure; when you literally can’t get another rep; when you have to start to use “body english” to finish the set; when you have to reduce the range of motion to finish the set. A summary of my thoughts on training to failure…
-consistently training to failure can lead to a decrease in performance
-consistently training to failure can increase the chances of injury
-consistently training to failure can lead to overtraining (if not the true definition of overtraining, it can at least hurt performance and in time, make a person NOT feel motivated to hit the gym)
-training really close to failure on the last set of an exercise can be a good thing, but be careful not to over do it.
-training to failure on occasion can be a good thing, and help “toughen” a person up (but again, be VERY careful not to over do it).
-there is a bit more “wiggle” room in training to failure with “isolation” exercises like biceps curls, compared to big, compound movements like squats. In other words, it will be easier to recover if you have a couple sets of ALL-OUT curls, than it would be to have a set of two of ALL-OUT squats (plus the chances of injury are lower with the curls).
Last Chance Workout
Yeah, I know. That is what they call it on the Biggest Loser. Overall I am not a big fan of that show because 1) quite often I think the exercise selection is atrocious for an obese person, and 2) The “motivating” techniques used often border on belittling.
But, if you watch the show, I get it – it does have some entertainment value. With that said, here is my last chance workout from yesterday…
Put 10 minutes and the clock and get as much work in as possible before the 10 minutes expires…
A1) Incline DB press with about a 10 rep max (RM), Dips (parallel bars)
A2) Reverse Grip Curls, EZ Bar Curls
I performed the incline press and reverse grip curls for the first 5 minutes, and Dips and EZ bar curls for the second 5 minutes. Take a minute or so break, and then…
Put 10 more minutes on the clock and did this…
B1) Wide Pull-ups, Chin-ups, TRX Inverted Rows
B2) Seated Calf Raises
I performed a couple sets of pull-ups, 1 set of chin-ups, and then the remainder of the time performed TRX Rows. Seated calf raises were performed the entire time. Once again using about a 10 RM.
C) Lateral Raises – 2 X 10-12
Let me tell you, this was VERY tough due to the fact that I took a number of sets close to failure. The reason for this? Because I am about to take a little time off, I am finishing up the week “overreaching.” Today’s leg workout will be similar. If you know you are about to take a little break (i.e. you are about to go out of town on vacation), this style of training can be beneficial. But again, do NOT abuse this very intense, training to failure thing… it will catch up to you!
I may be blogging in the middle of the night in the hospital if I can’t sleep or whatever. But then again, I may be craving any second of shut-eye that I can get. With that said, I may or may not being seeing you soon. Happy training…
My Leg & Ab Training Session from Yesterday…
May 19, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I thought I’d share with you my leg and ab workout from yesterday. If you read my blogpost from last week, you’ll recall that I am generally not a big fan of random workouts. But due to the fact that our babies are due any day now, and I never thought we’d make it this far (today is exactly 37 weeks, which means full term!), I didn’t get into a new training block as I figured it would get cut off 1/2 way in. I thought I’d be in the hospital for daysssss by now. So, here yesterday’s “random” leg/ab workout…
A) Hip Thrusts – 3 X 8-10
B) Walking Lunges – 3 X 10-12/leg
C1) 1-Leg RDLs – 3 X 10/leg
C2) Foam Roller Supine Torso Holds – 2 X 30 seconds & Dragon Flys – 1 X 10
D) Jump Circuit consisting of 10 Jump Lunges (total – 5/leg), 10 Jump Squats, 10 Reverse Lunges (total), and 30 squats … quads were ON FIRE!
Overall, the volume is pretty low. I have kept it this way because of the increased chances of extreme soreness when you do random workouts (again, a big reason I’m not a fan of random workouts). For the last 5-6 lower body (or full body) workouts I have done a squat (usually back squats) and/or a deadlift variation (usually trap bar deadlifts). So I thought I’d take a little break from those on this day. I captured one of each of the above exercises on film (except for the dragon fly), so here you go…
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… and today my ass and hamstrings are killing me! Damn it!
Exercise of the Week – The Glute-Ham Raise
May 11, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
It has been awhile since I have done an “exercise of the week” post. Maybe I should re-name it the exercise of the quarter. What’s that? Not funny? Well, forget you then!
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. If we can still be friends, let’s get to the exercise…
Glute-Ham Raise
The glute-ham raise (G-HR) is a great exercise because it works the hamstrings in both of its functions – knee flexion AND hip extension. When you perform a leg curl, the hamstrings are only flexing the knee (but NOT extending the hip). And when you perform exercises such as RDLs, the hams are only being working as hip extensors (but not knee flexors). That’s not to say that leg curls and RDLs shouldn’t be a part of your overall plan. It just shows how great of an exercise the G-HR is.
When performing the G-HR, try not to let your hips flex (butt goes backwards) or your low back to extend. Brace your abs and try to keep a straight line from your knees, to your hips, to your shoulders. Below are a few videos of the “Natural” G-HR.
This one is me performing the Natural G-HR in a seated calf machine. Just turn yourself around and lock your feet into the pads where you usually put your quads. Notice that I have a bunch of weight stacked even know I am not using the machine to work my calves. This is done so the machine doesn’t tip over and I don’t break my nose on the way towards the floor. Call me crazy, but I’ve never been a fan of broken noses.
Another option is to have a partner (that you trust:) ) hold your feet/calves in place…
Or, you could use the pad of a lat pulldown machine and just turn yourself around…
Notice how we each of us give a push off of the ground (or box) to help out on the concentric portion (the way up). There are a few bad assess out there that don’t need any help from the floor on the way up… that is tough!!! If you look at the videos, it is obvious that Tony (video 3) and “volleyball chick” use a bigger push off of the floor than I do. Just playin’! (but not really)
Finally, a great piece of equipment is the G-HR machine. Rather than explain how to use this machine and all of the options, I’ll let Bret Contreras take it from here…
Basically, if you have some nice hamstrings, you are a stud/studette. The Glute-Ham Raise will definitely help you get there!
Random Training Sessions vs Planned Training Sessions
May 10, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
Most people that have read my work and/or that have worked directly with me, know that I typically like to have a pre-determined plan going into my training sessions (and for my client’s sessions). Random training, where you just walk into the gym and “wing it,” has some definite drawbacks. At least in my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, there have been many trainees that have taken the wing it approach and gone onto have great physiques. For most people however, I believe working off a pre-planned workout to fit your goals/needs gives you the best opportunity to reach your goals.
I write up programs into “training blocks” that usually last 4-weeks (written up prior to day 1 of starting the program). The advantages here are…
- it allows you to track progress and gives you motivation to build on your numbers from week to week
- if you are newer to training it helps you more quickly determine what weight to use on weeks 2, 3, and 4
- it gives you enough time to stay with a movement and improve your form with that movement (if you randomly do a technically challenging movement, and do not perform that same movement again for a couple months, it will be very difficult to make progress with that movement)
- it helps to keep soreness down
Above are some of the main reasons that I like to work off a pre-written training plan. And just so you know, I am a BIG fan of “cybernetic periodization,” (going “by feel”). After all, if my program says 3 sets of 6 for chin-ups but I just feel UNREAL that day, I give myself the freedom to add a set or two. So, I like to work off of a program, while giving myself (and again, my clients) the option to slightly modify where necessary/optimal. If you want to get more of my thoughts on periodization, check out this older post – Some Thoughts on Periodization.
For this post, I want to talk about the last bullet point that I made above; “it helps to keep soreness down.” For anyone that works hard, some soreness is inevitable. When you switch to a different exercise and/or a different rep scheme, soreness is quite often going to be there. For example, if I haven’t done RDLs for awhile, my hammies are usually sore for 3-5 days. When I repeat that exercise on week 2 of the program however, often times I am not sore at all. Remember, soreness does NOT equal results. Those that go out of their way to be sore (by always adding more sets and/or tourcher techniques, and random workouts are the norm), usually spend more time recovering, and less time working out. Even if they workout frequently, performance can be greatly impaired.
I finished my last training block about 4 weeks ago. After that program I decided not to write up my next block because my wife is due to deliver babies (yes plural, as in twins!) any day now. At the time where I usually would be putting the finishing touches on my upcoming program, I decided that I didn’t want to get a week into it only to have to stop and take a break for the babies. I figured that I would wing it for a week or two, get situated to the babies while helping take care of my wife, and then get back to writing up my new programs every 4 weeks, like usual. Well, here we are about 4 weeks later, and those babies are still cooking – which is a good thing. They are already behaving look a good boy and girl, or a good boy and boy, or a good girl and girl. Who knows? We decided not to find out the sexes, should be a FUN day in the delivery room!!!
Where was I? Oh yeah, my rare random training phase. How do you think this has been going for me? Pretty damn bad! I am sore pretty much everyday of the week (not fun). But that’s what often happens when you just walk into the gym, throw a workout together, and don’t allow your body time to adjust to the program from week to week. My motivation to train isn’t as high as usual, and due the constant soreness, my performance is down.
If this sounds anything like you, I hope this motivates you to get on a plan (a “training block”) and stick with it for ~4 weeks before jumping onto the next program (hopefully one that builds on the previous training block). My always sore glutes, pecs, hamstrings, and triceps are constant reminders that all this randomness is not the way to go. I’m really looking forward to getting back to my pre-planned training programs!
Baseball Coaches, Baseball Parents – MUST READ!
April 26, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
Throwing a baseball is one of the most dangerous actions in all of sports. The chances of players hurting their shoulder and/or elbow are already high enough. Why increase those chances even more!?! Most parents and baseball coaches don’t know that they don’t know (that they are a BIG part of the injury problem). Well, Strength Coach Eric Cressey is here to help all of us involved with parenting or coaching young baseball players. If you’ve been contributing to the problem (even inadvertently), it’s time to learn, and make some adjustments. After all, that’s what life is all about – learning and APPLYING what you learn to make improvements.
Enjoy this great piece from Eric.
My Experience With Twice-A-Day Training
April 11, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I can summarize my experience in two words… It. Sucked!
Alright, thanks for stopping by, be sure to check in next time as I go over…
Ok, ok, I’ll elaborate. There was more to it than just a bunch of suckiness.
First of all, the main reason that I went to two-a-days was because I figured this may be my last chance to do some time-consuming, crazy training plan for the next 18 years. Any day now my wife is going to be popping out twins. Whenever I tell people that I can’t wait, they tell me how excited they are for me and that being a parent is such a great experience that can’t be described in words. Next I tell them that I am sooo ready for this. Then they laugh at me. Hey, thanks a lot my people! Verrrry encouraging! Ha, I know what they mean – no matter how ready we think we are, we’re never truly ready… especially with 2 babies at once. Ok, back to the training.
How To Best Set-Up Twice-A-Day Training
Strength Coach Charles Poliquin has made the following recommendations:
-Increase your training volume gradually. He suggests starting with two 20 minute workouts. Longer training sessions would be counterproductive, as you will not be able to put as much energy into your workouts and could overtax your recovery ability.
-You need to take plenty of time between workouts to achieve an optimal training effect – he suggests about 4-6 hours between sessions. According to Charles, this time spread is critical. If you use a shorter one, you will be too fatigued; and in a longer one you will negate the nervous system activation effect of the morning workout (this is known as a super compensation effect).
-This next piece of advice is what I have read from Strength Coach Christian Thibaudeau (although I *think* Poliquin believes in the same set-up): make the morning session your high intensity session (high weights closer to your 1 rep-max) and the afternoon session higher reps and/or use high intensity techniques (i.e. drop sets, post-fatigue method, etc).
The Program
Day 1: Chest and Back - A.M. Heavy (basically I never went over 8 reps and the majority of my sets were 6 reps and under)
P.M. Higher Reps and High Intensity techniques. The majority of my sets were 10 reps and up and I used the “post-fatigue method” one time for each body part. Chest example: Band Push-ups X 10 reps immediately followed up with standing cable flyes X 12 reps. Back Example: Neutral grip (palms facing one another) pull-ups X AMRAP (as many reps as possible) immediately followed up with stiff-arm pushdowns X 12 reps.
Day 2: Legs – A.M. Heavy. All I did here was two exercises – back squats for 4 sets of 5-7 reps and glute-ham raises for 4 sets of 5-7 reps.
P.M. Higher reps but I didn’t use any high intensity techniques on leg day. This day was hard enough as is!!!
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders and Arms – A.M. Heavy
P.M. Higher reps and high intensity techniques. An example here is the superset I did where I went from doing rope pushdowns immediately into v-bar pushdowns. You can use more weight with the v-bar so I did that second, but used approximately the same weight as the weight I used with the rope. This concept is similar to a “mechanical drop set.”
Day 5: Off
Day 6: Repeat program starting with day 1 again (although, I gave myself the option of taking this day off as well and repeating day 1 on day 7, depending on how I was feeling).
My Thoughts
It definitely was not easy. Like Coach Poliquin noted, “Twice-A-Day training is not raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.” However, I did like the fact that the workouts were shorter. I’d say that each sessions took me about 20-25 minutes to complete, not counting warm-up (foam rolling, mobility work, etc) and cool down. My schedule is conducive to two brief sessions in one day separated by 4-6 hours as I usually have a couple breaks in my day between training clients. For most people with “regular” jobs however, this would be pretty tough to pull off.
The hardest thing for me was leg day. You know when you rack the bar on your last set of squats, right? What, you don’t know that feeling Mr. Hugearmsandchestbutlegsasskinnyasachicken? Well then, time for you to man-up and work your like every now and then. What was I saying? Oh yeah, that great feeling when you rack the bar and you know you don’t have to do another squat, deadlift, or lunge again for at least a few more day! That’s the best!!! Well, imagine racking the bar and thinking; “Damn, I have to come back and do this again in about 4 hours?!? ” Those were some loooong days!
Overall, I’m glad it is over but I am glad I tried it. Next, I’m onto a bunch of “random” workouts, which is rare for me. But I don’t want to get into too much planning, as the twins are about to take over my life! Wish me luck!
The Right Exercises For Your Basketball Strength Training
April 6, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I had a new article published at iHoops today. Even though iHoops.com is a basketball website, the advice applies to any lifter out there. Check it out…
In the field of strength and conditioning, everyone wants to know what the best exercise is for X, Y, and Z.
I’ve had people ask me, “what is the best exercise to improve power?” I’ve had people ask me, “what is the best exercise for strong shoulders?” I’ve had people ask me, “what exercise is better, back squats or bulgarian split squats?” And the list goes on and on.
My answer is always the same–it depends. As much as I’d like to give these enthusiastic and inquisitive individuals a one-size-fits-all answer, I just can’t do it. There are too many factors to consider before I can even come close to giving them my opinion. For example, I’d need to know…
How To Increase Athleticism
March 28, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
I just had an article published by my peeps at Sears titled, “How To Increase Athleticism.” How do you increase athleticism? Is improving your skill and increasing athleticism the same thing? I think not. To get my take on how to increase athleticism in more detail, read on my friend…
